Attractions

Old Idaho State Penitentiary

2445 Old Penitentiary Road

Boise, ID 83712

+1 208 334 2844

Mo to Su from 12:00 PM to 05:00 PM

Visit the "Old Pen" to get a glimpse of prison life in the West from the 19th Century onward. Built in 1870, the castle-like fortress was enlarged over the years, often using prisoner labor. Over 13,000 prisoners served time in the Old Penitentiary over a period of 101 years. In 1973 it was replaced with a new prison. Visitors can take a 90-minute tour, complete with solitary confinement cells, death row and the gallows. It is also the site of Idaho's only hanging in 1957. The building now houses several museums worth perusing.